St Michael and All Angels, Farthinghoe, Northamptonshire

I Location

Site Location
Farthinghoe
National Grid Reference
SP 536 398
County
traditional: Northamptonshire
now: Northamptonshire
Diocese
medieval: Lincoln
now: Peterborough from 1539
Dedication
medieval: not confirmed
now (or name of monument): St Michael and All Angels
Type of building/monument
Parish church

II General Description

Exterior from NE

Exterior from NE

Interior to E

Interior to E

Romanesque interest at St Michael's centres on the W tower; constructed of bands of ironstone and grey stone in its lower parts, and originally unbuttressed but with diagonal buttresses and a plinth course added. The top storey is of rubble and has 14thc. windows and a battlement. Inscriptions supply the names of two churchwardens and the date 1654, which must correspond to a restoration. 12thc. work surviving here comprises the W doorway and the tower arch, both extremely plain. For the rest, the nave is aisled with 13thc. arcades of three bays and a later clerestorey. The chancel is narrow with S chapel (now a vestry) as wide as the nave aisle and almost as long, and there are signs of a rood loft inside, and a stair turret for it in the angle between nave and chancel on the N side.

III Exterior Features

1. Doorways

(i) Tower W doorway.

Tower W doorway

Tower W doorway

Plain, continuous, single order.

Dimensions
h. of opening (ignoring modern step) 2.40 m
w. of opening 1.03 m

IV Interior Features

1. Arches

b. Tower/Transept arches

(i) Tower arch

W arch
Tower arch from E

Tower arch from E

Tower arch, S impost from NE

Tower arch, S impost from NE

Single order, round headed but depressed slightly on the S side. The embrasures are plain and square with plain hollow chamfered imposts.

VII History

In 1086 Farthinghoe was reckoned among the lands formerly belonging to Earl Aubrey but then in the king's hands. A priest was recorded.

Benefice of Aynho and Croughton with Evenley and Farthinghoe and Hinton-in-the-Hedges with Steane.

VIII Comments/Opinions

IX Bibliography

  • G. Baker, The History and Antiquities of the County of Northampton. 2 vols, London, 1822-41, I, 624-26.
  • J. Bridges, The History and Antiquities of Northamptonshire. (Compiled from the manuscript collections of the late learned antiquary J.Bridges, Esq., by the Rev. Peter Whalley). Oxford 1791, I, 170-71.
  • N. Pevsner, The Buildings of England: Northamptonshire. Harmondsworth 1961, rev. B. Cherry 1973, 212.